Moldable mass or compound articles of manufacture formed therefrom and the process of forming said articles of manufacture.



PATENTBD JULY 28, 1908.

. d.-H." A'ND. MOLDABLB MASS on COMPOUND ARTICLES or MANUFACTURE FORMED THEREFROM AND THBPROQBSSOP FORMING SAID ARTICLES 0]? MANUFAGTURE'.

- APPLIOA TIQN rILBn gnnn'n. 1901.

mitnesses 6% mogwa'iznvemor CHARLES ii AN-D, or DETR IiMIdi-iidiiii.

MJOLDAIZBLE ass as ooMPouNi aa' ioLEs or MANurfAoruBn FoBMED' TI -IEREFROM AND THE mocnss or romvrme SAID ar 'riornsor ANUFACT RE,

To all whom it may concern I Specification of Letters Patent, I I

Patented uly 28, 1908.

Application filed September 11,1907; Serial No. 892,278.

Be it known't'hat I, oHARLEs H. LAND, a

citizen of the United States, residing at De-" troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in a moldable mass or compoun articles of manufacture formed therefrom and the process of forming said articles of manufacture, of which the followmg is a specification.

My invention relates to a new plastic or moldable com ound for use inzceramic manufacture, to et er with articles of manufacture forme therefrom, as well as to the process of forming various articles of manufacture from said plastic compound or moldable mass.

My invention relates primarily to a new blnding material adapted to hold together grains of vitreous masses, such, for example, as kaolin, silica, carborundum, porcelain,

' clay, pottery materials, and analogous substances, while being molded, and the use of said binding material to retain-the molded mass in shape while being fired. The basis of my binding material is gum chicle. This may be diluted with chloroform or other solvent or thinner, or the gum chicle may be mechanically mixed by heat at'a sufiicient degree of temperature, as for example, about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Next this gum chicle is mixed with any kind of body material which is adapted to be fire-hardened, and then the mass, at a temperature of about eighty degrees,is shaped and later fired. For example, to obtain a pure silica muflie, I may mix ninety pounds of pure silica with ten pounds of gum chicle, shape the mass at a temperature of about eighty degrees Fahrenheit, and then fire the article at an ap ropriate temperature, viz., about three t ousand degrees Fahrenheit. I have found that. it is unnecessary to let the plastic mass harden before firing.

My invention embodies the process of form-' ing various articles of manufacture by means of such a moldable mass, and articles of manufacture so formed. The process may even be continuous by impression in the molds, by expelling theplastlc mass throu h adie, and passing it through a furnace, wit out any interruption.

In casting articles having delicate details, such-as castin s made of flowers, I find'it advisable to ad a thinner, as for example,"a

formed is not adhesive to the molds. mass or body having the gumnehicle mixed small percentage of chloroform 01 other solvent to the gum chicle. This will enable the plastic mass to be pressed into the finest detailstructures without distorting them from their true form.

. In the course of my experiments, I have discovered that gum chicle has a remarkable property of holding puresilica, as well as other substances, in exact definite forms through the highest degrees of temperature.

I havealso discovered that a compoundnslo e therewith may be put up' as a marketable compound ready for use, as silica having the gum chicle mixedin proper proportions therewith.

It is obvious that my invention is much broader than the instances I have given of its application. Thus by suitable choice of 1ngredients and coloring matter, I may beable to make abrading disks, permanent specimens of mushroomforms, innatural tints, decorated porcelain ware, cameos, in'taghos, lamp chimneys, bottles, etc. The remarkable property of the roducts of my invention is that they absolutely retain thelr natural size and form, without the shrinkage so often found in many fire hardened products.

It is obvious that the silica is held together in the finished article by the fusing process, the finished article having been subjected to a suflicient temperature. The gum clncle serves as a binder to hold the material together until it has combined by subjection to a sufliciently high degree of temperature. 7

The gum chicle serves as a temporary binder until the silica or analogous material 1s formed into a'solid or homogeneous mass by being fire hardened, or subjected to a sufficient degree of. temperature. In this plastic condition the compound may be compressed into any desired mold and cast rapidly there'- from. v

In the drawings submitted herewith in illustration of my invention: Figure 1 illusand prising gum chicle and a body adapted to be iu'e hardened.

2. The herein described composition comprising gum chicle and a ceramic body.

3. The herein described com osition comprising gum chicle and a silica ody.

4. The herein described composition comprising gum chicle, a thinner, and a ceramic 5. The herein described composition comrising gum chicle, chloroform, and a ceramic body.

6. The herein described composition comprising gum chicle and a vitreous body.

7. The process of forming an article of manufacture consisting of mixing a vitreous body with gum chicle, and fire hardening the mass.

8. The process of manufacturing articles of manufacture consistin of mixing a vitreous substance with gum c icle to form a con 1 position of matter, moldin the composition to desired form, and then ire-hardening the molded mass.

9. The processof manufacturing articles of manufacture consistin of mixing a vitreous substance with gum c licle to form a composition of matter, softening said compo sition, molding the com osition to desired form, and then fire har ening the molded mass.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. LAND. W'itnesses N. S. WRIGHT, E. M. SPIELBURG. 

